Burial-vault



N. Wl DAVIS.

BumALtvAuLT. -PPLICATION FIL-ED SEPT. 23, 1.9I9.

'Patented May 11,1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NOAH W. DAVIS, OF DES MOINES, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF '10 EDWIN M. MARKET-i, OF DES MOINES, IOWA.

BURIAL-VAULT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1920.

Application led September 23, 1919. Serial No. 325,775.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, NOAH W. Davis, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Burial-Vault, of which the following is a specification.

T he object of my invention is to provide a burial vault of simple, durable and inexpensive construction.

A particular object of my invention is to provide a burial vault made of plastic material, and made in two halves with a special joint between the upper and lower halves, so constructed and arranged that the halves may be'permanently locked together with some suitable material, such as slush cement or asphalt, the joint being so arranged that the cement or asphalt used in fastening the two parts together will not flow into the 1nside of the vault. n

A further object of my invention is to provide such a vault, having two parts provided with a joint, so arranged that the locking members will be properly centered with relation to each other.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claim and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a burial vault embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 shows a transverse, vertical, sectional view of the same.

Fig. 3 shows an enlarged, vertical, sectional view through one wall of the vault; and

Fig. 4 shows a similar view of a slightly modified form.

I have designed a vault or receptacle for collins, which is designed to be made of concrete or other plastic material, and which is preferably made in two halves.

In the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate generally the lower half or bottom portion of the vault. The cover or top portion of the vault is indicated by the reference character 11.

The walls of the bottom 10 are preferably slightly thicker at their upper edges than at their lower portions, and the walls of the top' 11 are preferably slightly thicker at their lower portions, than they are at their upper portions.

It is desirable in a wall of this kind that the receptacle should be substantially smooth on the outside and that a waterproof joint should be provided between the top and bottom vault. For providing a waterproof joint and also one by which the top and bottom may be firmly and rigidly iXed together, permanently, if desired, there is formed in the upper surface of the walls of the bottom 10, a groove 13 extending entirely around the bottom member, which groove is wider at its bottom than its top, as illustrated clearly in Fig. 3.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a slightly different form of the view. The lower surfaces of the walls of the top are provided entirely around such walls with a downwardly projecting rib 14, which is also wider at its bottom than at its upper portions. The greatest width of the rib 14 is such as to permit its free insertion into the groove 13.

Between the rib 14 and the inner surfaces of the walls of the top 11, the walls are provided on the under surface with a groove 15 with beveled side walls, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Between the groove 13 and the inner surfaces of the walls of the bottom 10, the upper faces of said walls are provided with an upwardly projecting rib 16 with beveled side walls that t into the groove 15.

The wall is vprovided with suitable reinforcing 17 having portions which project into the rib 14 and portions which project upwardly at the sides of the groove 13.

In sealing the vault after a coilin has been placed therein, there is poured into the groove 13, slush cement or asphalt. The top is then lowered onto the bottom until the rib 14 projects downwardly into the groove 13. The slush cement or asphalt will be forced upwardly as indicated at 18 in Fig. 4, and will fill the joint between the top and bottom and between the rib 16 and the outer surfaces of the vault. As the top is lowered onto the bottom, the rib 16 will project into the groove 15 and will serve a double function. The rib 16 will project upwardly and it into the groove 15 with sufficient snugness to prevent the sealing material from iiowing into the interior of the vault.

Furthermore, the beveled side walls of the rib 1G and groove 15 will properly center the top above the bottom of the vault and will properly position the rib la in the groove 13, so that the sealing material will be distributed properly on both sides of the rib 14.

It will be seen that when the sealing material hardens, there will result what is substantially a monothecal structure, and there will be a tight joint between the top and bottom members of the vault.

In Fig. 4, I have shown the sealing material 19 of asphalt, which will furnish a water-tight joint and will rigidly hold the parts together. 'Vhen asphalt as used, however, by heating the vault around the joint, the asphalt can be so softened, as to permit the lifting of the top away from the bottom, if such separation should be desired.

I realize that certain changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my improved burial vault without departing from the real purpose and spirit of my invention and it is my intention to cover by my kclaim any modilied forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

A vault comprising a bottom member and a top member, said bottom member having in the upper surfaces of its walls a groove with a contracted orifice, said top member having on its lower surface a downwardly projecting. .rib wider at its lower than at its upper portion, and adapted to extend into said groove, said topr and bottom member having in their adjacent surfaces near their inner portions a coaoting groove and rib for centering said members with relation to each other and preventing the passage of sealing material from said first groove inwardly into the vault.

Des l/Ioines, Iowa, September 10, 1919.

NOAH IN. DAVIS. 

